"I think he might've broken his leg” - Craig Jones recalls Islam Makhachev having serious damage to his leg after head kick KO over Alex Volkanovski
Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski faced off in the main event of UFC 294 last weekend.
The pair met in a rematch of their epic clash at UFC 284 earlier this year, where Makhachev defeated 'The Great' via unanimous decision.
Their first fight was incredibly close, with many believing Volkanovski had defeated Makhachev on the scorecards, and the expectation ahead of their second fight couldn't have been higher.
Alexander Volkanovski was oozing with confidence ahead of fight night and predicted he would finish Islam Makhachev inside three rounds. But the lightweight champion stunned the MMA world when he landed a superb head kick that rocked 'The Great', who was then finished with ground-and-pound strikes.
Following UFC 294, Volkanovski and Makhachev were captured spending time together at a local cafe in Abu Dhabi.
Craig Jones, Volkanovski's Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach, has now shared insight into how damaged the lightweight champion's leg looked, which he implied was from landing the head kick that hurt Volkanovski.
Jones said:
"He was actually limping on his leg. I think he might've broken his leg or something when he kicked Volk's head... His leg looked quite injured, so I said to Volk, 'Man if you ate that, you had [the fight] in the bag, he had a broken leg.' You know what I mean."
Watch the video below from 26:35:
Justin Gaethje claims Islam Makhachev is "copying his moves" following win over Alex Volkanovski
Justin Gaethje had the chance to face Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 on short notice following Charles Oliveira's withdrawal due to injury.
'The Highlight' declined the offer, but has now shared his take on Makhachev's incredible win over Alexander Volkanovski.
Gaethje jested that the lightweight champion had been watching him, making a reference to his recent head kick KO win over Dustin Poirier at UFC 291.
Islam Makhachev's performance at UFC 294 proved that he could strike with the promotion's best stand-up fighters, confirming that the Dagestani was more than just an elite grappler - something he had been stating for several years.
Justin Gaethje was recently interviewed by ESPN MMA, where he said:
"I think that makes him extra dangerous. I think he's out here copying my moves, he's obviously watching me. So yeah, it's good. I'm excited to fight him, before the fight I said he wasn't Khabib, but I guess I'm just gonna have to f**k around and find out 'cause I'm not sure."
Watch the video below from 1:15: